PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has given the Philippine maritime industry a shot in the arm through Memorandum Circular 87, a nationwide maritime awareness campaign to promote the Philippines as a maritime and archipelagic nation.
The directive adds vigor to existing laws designed to institutionalize maritime awareness, such as Republic Acts 12064 and 12065, which define the country’s maritime zones and sea lanes. It also reinforces Proclamation 316, which declared September as Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANA Mo).
The National Maritime Council (NMC), established under Executive Order 57 as the lead inter-agency body for maritime domain awareness, is tasked with leading year-round programs and spearheading the MANA Mo celebration every September. These initiatives are designed to enhance public understanding of maritime issues and promote appreciation of the country’s marine heritage.
The campaign involves not only agencies specifically mandated to promote maritime development. All national government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), LGUs, and private partners are called upon to support the campaign and participate in planned activities. The effort represents a total national approach to cultivating a maritime mindset.
Seafarers’ lives are shaped by a lifestyle and set of challenges quite different from shore-based professions. They face prolonged isolation from family which can result in trust issues and inhibit communication; confined quarters which can be stifling and oppressive; intense working conditions; and inaccessibility of regular mental health resources.
Relationships among individuals from different backgrounds, origins, and values often feel forced during time at sea, leading to emotional distance that can make it hard to maintain deep connections. This makes setting personal boundaries difficult. While one may encounter similar situations in land-based workplaces, coming home at the end of each day offers some relief. Seafarers do not have that option.
Because maritime remains a traditionally male-dominated field, so-called machismo can discourage openness and candor in seeking support for emotional issues.
There is also the fear of transitioning to land. There is a saying that “a sailor is only half a man on land,” indicating a potential disconnect between his life at sea and his life on land. A seafarer’s identity is deeply intertwined with his profession and his life at sea. As the sea becomes part of his identity, the thought of going back to a shore-based life may seem intimidating.
This disparity is even dramatized in Jane Austen’s novel “Persuasion,” where the protagonist is a successful naval officer who has earned his fortune through service at sea, who is very much at ease and in command at sea but becomes nervous and awkward when navigating the complexities and nuances of life on land.
In addition, there is always the danger of being caught in the midst of conflict between warring nations, as demonstrated by the killing of Filipino crewmen by Iran-aligned Houthis in what they characterize as acts of solidarity with Palestinians.
More recently, there is the case of a cruise ship where at least 21 Filipino crew members were arrested and deported by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Port of Norfolk, Virginia. The move was called unjust by the International Seafarers Action Center (ISAC), who also disclosed that more than 100 Filipino cruise ship workers were deported from the US between April and July this year. “These seafarers held valid C-1/D visas and were lawfully employed aboard the vessel, yet they were not afforded due process,” said ISAC.
Despite the dangers and hardships, seafarers feel a profound connection to the ocean, finding freedom and fulfillment in life at sea, even when the mental toll is high. It is hoped that a more heightened maritime mindset can help our maritime professionals maintain focus through lifelong learning to keep their knowledge and skills current, and build strong relationships with crewmates, mentors, and counselors through teamwork and communication. They also need assistance in navigating long distance relationships, coping with isolation, setting boundaries in close quarters, building an identity separate from the sea and envisioning a future beyond the sea.
We never fail to point out that more than 90 percent of the world’s goods and fuels are transported around the world, thanks to seafarers. It is not an exaggeration to say that without them, the world economy would grind to a halt.
British novelist Nicholas Monsarrat, who wrote the international best seller “The Cruel Sea,” winner of the Heinemann Foundation Prize for Literature, has said “Sailors, with their built-in sense of order, service and discipline, should really be running the world.” Otherwise known as Lieutenant Commander Nicholas John Turney Monsarrat, he had served in the Royal Navy during World War II. He knows whereof he speaks.
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